PIL for mechanism to complain against private hospitals, nursing homes: HC seeks govt stand

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the directorate of health services in the city on a PIL for setting up of a mechanism to help the public lodge complaints or raise grievances against any malpractice by private nursing homes and hospitals. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambani issued a notice to the Delhi government's directorate general of health services (DGHS) and sought its stand on the plea which alleged that the authority does not even keep tabs on the services provided and prices charged by the private nursing homes and hospitals. The court directed the DGHS to file an affidavit in response to the issues raised in the PIL and listed it for further hearing on May 14.

The petition, filed by NGO Legal Forum for Women Empowerment through its president Payal Bahl, an advocate, has claimed that the DGHS "has no mechanism to maintain records of the public complaints and grievances against any malpractices such as overcharging by private nursing homes and hospitals".